Here Is VW's Highly Anticipated Super Bowl 2012 Ad

Although advertisers have released over 30 Super Bowl 2012 commercials and teasers to create social media buzz, the most highly anticipated unveiling has got to be VW's sequel to their award-winning 2011 commercial, "The Force." Well hold onto your hats because early this morning the sequel has finally been unveiled. Here's the Deutsch LA created spot, "The Dog Strikes Back."

This 75-second version will be cut to a 60-second spot for the big game. With a half minute slot costing an average of $3.5 million, this unit cost approximately $7 million.

Shying away from the pint sized Darth Vader, the new commercial shows a pleasantly plump dog -- we're talking about can't fit through the dog door pudgy -- who only wants to chase the new VW Beetle down the street and implements an elaborate exercise and diet regiment to do so. We see him run up and down stairs, refuse himself food handouts under the table, and experiment with an exercise ball to actualize his dream.

Then the ad gets kind of meta, and we are transported to the Star Wars Cantina turned sports bar where a group of aliens are watching the spot. Playing with the ad's exorbitantly high public expectations and the knowledge that everyone will be measuring the commercial's success to that of "The Force", one alien says to another alien:

"I kind of miss that Vader kid."

"Are you kidding me? The dog is better."

Then Darth Vader gets pissed and uses the force to choke someone. Hmm.

While we love a dog in a fat suit, it's almost impossible for VW to fill its incredibly big shoes from last year. The car company released a teaser of dressed up dogs barking the "Imperial March" (that has gained 11 million views) to build hype for the ad -- do you think that the actual commercials lives up to those expectations?